Breaking Down Racial Roadblocks in Theological Education

“What kind of life is worth wanting?”
asks Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun in “For the Life of the World: Theology
That Makes a Difference.”

They argue that the Christian faith is a
response to this question. A life well-lived, one that flourishes, finds
purpose and meaning in the way of life modeled by the Christ we follow, the God
who creates and the Spirit that stirs.

The Christian faith offers a distinctive
voice by claiming the worth and value of all persons.

“Religion gets sick when one person can
point to another person and see a difference that depersonalizes that other
person,” said Wade Rowatt, senior professor of pastoral care and counseling at Baptist
Seminary of Kentucky. “It doesn’t matter if it’s gender, it
doesn’t matter if it’s sexual orientation, and it certainly doesn’t matter if
it’s race or nationality or age or anything else.”

In our racially charged culture, churches
are increasingly asking how they can be thriving communities and meaningfully
be part of God’s work to bring justice to, and honor the worth of, our black
brothers and sisters.

How are congregations to approach this
work of love, healing and justice? How can churches play a central and powerful
role in their communities to bring healing?

Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is asking a
similar question: How do we help form ministers in both the black and white
church traditions in ways that serve the purpose of God and bring healing and
community?

In 2015, Kevin W. Cosby, president of Simmons
College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville,
invited Baptist Seminary of Kentucky to provide theological education on their
campus.

In the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017,
we offered Clinical Pastoral Education in the Parish with four black and four white
ministers on the Simmons campus.

We offered an additional class in the
fall of 2017. In January 2018, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky began offering the
ability to pursue the master of divinity degree entirely at Simmons College.

Sharing this vision for a predominantly white
seminary to serve in what Cosby calls “black space” were the Eula Mae and John
Baugh Foundation and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (Kentucky CBF and the
national organization).

The Baugh Foundation is providing
$300,000 over three years, and the CBF $50,000.

This generous funding has been
critically important in Baptist Seminary of Kentucky’s ability to live into
this vision. Already, more than half our students are at the Simmons campus and
our enrollment is up by more than 50%.

Cosby described the unique relationship:
“In most instances, racial integration has been a unilateral process where
blacks move into white space. BSK (Baptist Seminary of Kentucky) has reversed
this model and decided to move into black space. This is a reversal of the
white flight of former generations.”

Understanding this invitation is crucial.
Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is choosing to be a guest in black space, to honor
the power structures and culture of a black-led institution, to follow our
mission by listening, learning and being shaped.

It is hard to overstate how large a
shift this is. We expect to be in charge, to do things our way and to be able
to dictate choices. Part of the partnership is a discovery of how our position
and power inhibit or even prevent true conversation and listening.

Although the partnership is young, Baptist
Seminary of Kentucky is already being formed, informed and reformed.

As our work and conversations at Simmons
have deepened, those relationships and the warm, joyful community at Simmons
has blessed and encouraged us.

What are we learning about the power of
these relationships that can help ministers and churches to form what Martin
Luther King Jr. called “the beloved community”?

Our curriculum is being shaped in
significant ways. We have become increasingly aware of the preference for white
perspectives in Western-style theological education.

Levens also taught a course combining
the topics of World Christianity and Justice. Simmons and Baptist Seminary of
Kentucky students, valuing justice in their contexts, wanted to know what
justice means and how it’s practiced by Christians across the world.

John Inscore Essick, Baptist Seminary of
Kentucky’s associate professor of church history, explains a shift in
approaching Christian history: “In looking more deeply into past events, all
those in my class, regardless of race and including me, are challenged to think
more historically and theologically about land, freedom, power, religion and
ministry. The Simmons partnership made me pay closer attention and listen to
the voices and stories that had been there all along.”

Mark Medley, professor of theology at Baptist
Seminary of Kentucky, described how his theology course has been affected. “I
have deepened students’ exposure to black liberation theology as well as
womanist theology. My aim is that black theology and womanist theology be
understood as canonical not merely contextual theology.”

Rowatt invited Dartanya Hill, pastor of
West End Baptist Church in Louisville and a licensed psychologist, to co-teach
his course on pastoral care with small groups for the spring 2019 semester.

Care groups function in organic ways in black
churches that deepen the organizational, structural style in many white
congregations.

Dalen Jackson, Baptist Seminary of
Kentucky’s academic dean and professor of biblical studies, has also led the
faculty in the development of a new policy around language that will affect
grading and assignments.

The document recognizes that the language
of theological education often prioritizes a white expression of English and affirms
the existence of dialects in our culture that are also effective and valuable
ways of communicating.

This spring, Baptist Seminary of
Kentucky announced the Kevin and Barnetta Cosby Seminary Scholarship for
American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS).

This full-tuition scholarship is awarded
to 10 entering students as an act of repair and opportunity. It is likely the
first ADOS scholarship in the United States.

In July, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky announced
Lewis Brogdon as visiting professor of preaching and black church studies.

To support students at Baptist Seminary
of Kentucky’s Simmons College campus, click here.

Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is already
being shaped and formed by our presence at Simmons College.

As our students journey with us in black
space, we are witnessing the power of their insights, creativity and energy
toward a new community that brings joy to God and promises transformation for
congregations.

Editor’s
note: This article is part of a series this week focused on trends and issues
in theological education. Previous articles in the series are: